


A tale of two sisters

by Martin_Bajar



Series: the daughters of house De Agnis [2]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-02-21 19:09:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2479247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Martin_Bajar/pseuds/Martin_Bajar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first chapters in this story take place before the Dragonborn, Odvan, heads off to Skuldafn on Odahviing's back (Ria's viewpoint)</p><p>The rest of the story continues both the Dark Brotherhood and the Companions questline (Ria and Ti'alma each have their viewpoint)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Taking up Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ria arrives in Jorrvaskr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first chapters are quite possible to follow without having read the previous work, but from chapter 4 it is easier to follow if you have read the previous work
> 
> Ria is, in my AU, the daughter of one Tiberius De Agnis, who had been the son and heir to Marius De Agnis, the Blades Grandmaster during the Thalmor attack on Cloud Ruler Temple
> 
> Tiberius also has another half-bosmer daughter, Ti'alma, who happens to be married to the Dragonborn; in the beginning Ria isn't aware she has a sister though

“I am Ria”, Ria introduced herself, “Ria De Agnis.”

“Welcome to Jorrvaskr Ria De Agnis”, the old man replied before continuing, “I knew your grandfather, Marius, he was a good man, I was sorry to hear about his death.”

“I never really got to know him”, Ria admitted, “I was quite young when he died defending Cloud Ruler Temple.”

“I can at least tell you this”, Kodlak answered, “it was an honour to have known him.”

“He had that effect on most people, even those not from Kvatch or Bruma”, Ria replied, “but for me he always was the stern grandfather who wouldn’t allow me to climb on Cloud Ruler Temple’s roof.”

“That isn’t allowed here either”, Kodlak remarked, before continuing more seriously, “I know what you mean about Kvatch and Bruma though, most of their citizens ignore the fact that Martin Septim had been instrumental in ending the Oblivion as well as your ancestor, Agneta Poignard.”

Agneta Poignard had been a Daggerfall princess, who had run off to escape an arranged marriage, managed to get herself arrested and eventually became the last person to see Uriel Septum VI alive. This eventually led to Agneta ending the Oblivion Crisis, Kvatch and Bruma now both had a reasonably sized cult actually worshipping Agneta (the Agnis cult). Her children, who became House De Agnis, and their heirs, were still held in high esteem in both cities.

“I was hoping to find a place among the Companions”, Ria said after a while.

“Aren’t you a bit scrawny for a warrior?” a big Nord interfered.

“No more than you were Farkas”, Kodlak replied, “take her outside and see what she’s made off.”

 

A bit hesitant, Ria followed Farkas outside. “Pull out your sword”, Farkas said, “try to get a few swings in.”

“Could I borrow a different sword first?” Ria asked, “this one is my foremother’s and while it’s a very good sword, it has a few enchantments.”

“Which?” Farkas asked.

“Absorb Health and Absorb Stamina”, Ria answered, “I don’t mind using it against someone trying to kill me, but …”

Farkas went back inside and came back with a sword similar in weight and shape, only without the enchantments, “this one?”

Ria took it in her left hand and swung a few times, “good enough.” With the sword in her good hand (her left) and a dagger in the right, Ria attacked Farkas. It was only due to Farkas longer reach that he managed to keep the upper hand.

After a few swings, Farkas had seen enough, “with a bit of training you could become quite good, have you ever considered using a second sword instead of that dagger?”

“I don’t have a second sword”, Ria replied, “otherwise I would.”

“Keep that one”, Farkas decided, “I never really use it anyhow.”

“Thanks I suppose”, Ria replied, “does this mean I’m in?”

“Almost”, Farkas answered, “you should go back to Kodlak, but could you first do something for me?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Do you see the forge up there?”

“It’s hard to miss, isn’t it?”

“True, just take my sword up there and ask Eorlund Grey-Mane whether he could sharpen it.”

“Why not”, Ria agreed, “I’ll take my new sword up as well, it needs sharpening too. I must say I am surprised you actually manage to fight with that monstrosity.”

“I’m not really the small sword type.”

“Clearly”, Ria murmured, looking at Farkas’ ‘other sword’, before walking to the Skyforge, not realizing that both Farkas and the female warrior outside had heard the remark, Aela understanding the meaning better than Farkas.

“Farkas asked me to take his sword to you”, Ria explained the man at the smith.

“You do know that in the Companions all are equal”, the man informed her, “you don’t have to carry other people’s equipment.”

“I didn’t mind”, Ria answered, “and he did give me this sword.” Ria showed Eorlund the sword she had received from Farkas. “Would you mind sharpening that as well?” Ria asked him, “it’s quite similar in shape to the one I already had, but it’s not exactly sharp.”

“I’ll see what I can do”, Eorlund answered, “would you mind showing me the other sword you have, it seems quite old.”

“It is”, Ria answered as she showed her foremother’s sword, “my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother used to carry this sword into battle. It has two enchantments attached to it and somehow she managed to spell it so it would remain eternally sharp. Since then it has been in our family, we later began to nickname it the Eternal Blade.”

“That’s an outstanding sword”, Eorlund said, “I’m not sure whether I could ever fashion its equal, but I can better work on the other swords.” Ria put the Eternal Blade back into its sheet. I’ll finish Farkas’ sword later on, would you mind carrying this shield back to Eola? She’s the scantily dressed warrior with the face-paint outside.”

“Didn’t you just tell me not to carry other people’s equipment?”

“The difference is that Farkas had nothing better to do, so he could have brought it himself, I do have work to do.”

“Why not”, Ria answered, “I’ll bring it to her.”

“I believe you are Aela, aren’t you?” Ria asked the woman who seemed to fit the description best.

“I am”, Aela replied, “but I don’t think we have been introduced already.”

“Ria De Agnis”, Ria corrected that, “Eorlund asked me to carry this shield back to you.”

“So he did manage to repair it”, Aela remarked before explaining, “a crossbow bolt had flown right trough, leaving a fist size hole.”

“Talos”, Ria exclaimed, “how did you survive that?”

“Pure luck I suppose”, Aela replied, ignoring the Talos remark, “it flew through the shield with an angle and afterwards passed beneath my armpit.”

“Then I hope I will have your luck in the future”, Ria remarked.

Aela said she hoped the same, before she addressed another big Nord, similar looking to Farkas. Vilkas”, Aela shouted, “could you show our newest shield-sister to the sleeping quarters?”

“Of course”, Vilkas answered, “follow me.”

“Are you and Farkas related?” Ria asked him once inside Jorrvaskr once again.

“He’s my twin brother”, Vilkas replied, “I inherited the looks and the talks though. Nah, I’m just kidding, he’s probably the smartest one around here. He just doesn’t show it.” They had by now reached the sleeping hall. “You can take one of the empty beds”, Vilkas explained, “although if you want, you can always share my bed.”

“Get lost Vilkas”, a Nord woman told him. After Vilkas had left, she introduced herself, “I’m Njada Stone-arm. And don’t mind Vilkas, he tries that with every female recruit, I don’t think he’s serious about it though.” “Ria De Agnis”, Ria introduced herself, "and by Talos, I wasn't interested anyhow." “Welcome to Jorrvaskr, Ria De Agnis”, Njada replied, "one think though, I would advice not to say Talos too much and too loud."

"You do know you have a priest of Talos constantly preaching to Talos outside", Ria remarked, "does anyone even care around here."

"No we don’t, but we often have jobs outside Whiterun", Njada explained, "there are Thalmor patrols all around western Skyrim, it would be a shame to lose a new shield-sister to them."

"Thanks for the advice", Ria answered, "but my grandfather, Marius De Agnis has died fighting in Talos’ name, defending Cloud Ruler Temple. Letting the Thalmor influence my fate would disgrace his memory."

"Well spoken", Njada replied approvingly, "if only the rest of the Imperials would agree on that."

“If only”, Ria agreed.


	2. Proving Honour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble in Skyrim and Proving Honor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING
> 
> sex at the end, not really that explicit, as I stopped the text before it actually began. (I can't write proper sex scenes anyhow, so it's better for everyone if I leave it openended
> 
> WARNING

“Farkas was looking for you”, Njada informed Ria, “I believe he has a job for you.”

“Then I’d better go to him”, Ria replied, “thanks.” She took her swords and put on her armor (light leather armor, Ria had never liked heavy armor). She quickly found Farkas at the sparring ground, “Njada said you were searching for me?”

“I was”, Farkas answered, “there is a cave to the north of Whiterun, a Falmer has taken sanctuary there. We want you to deal with this menace.”

“Where exactly is the cave?” Ria asked.

Farkas didn’t answer but took a map and pointed at the location, “you can’t miss it.”

 

Ria first took a detour via Arcadia’s Cauldron, antidotes where no unnecessary precaution when dealing with Falmer after all. With her healing potions and antidotes restocked, Ria headed off towards the cave. The Falmer inside was easily dispatched, mostly due to it being alone. As Ria knew the ears had medicinal purposes, so she cut them off (they could also serve as prove of one dead Falmer at that). Back in Jorrvaskr, Ria showed Farkas the Falmer ears, “I wished all Falmer where this easily taken care of.”

 

“Good work”, Farkas grudgingly admitted, “take this gold for the effort.” He gave Ria a small bag of coins. “There is one more task we need you to complete before we can call you a fully fledged member of the Companions”, Farkas continued, “we have discovered the location of one of the pieces of Wuuthrad. You are to retrieve it.”

“I don’t suppose it’s as easy as it sounds”, Ria remarked.

“Not exactly”, Farkas agreed, “there are multiple draugr to be encountered over there at Dustman’s Cairn.”

“How do I get there?” Ria asked.

“I don’t think you understood it properly”, Farkas continued, “we don’t expect anyone to take on draugr by herself. This task counts as your trial, a member of the Circle will accompany you.”

“Who?” “I will”, Farkas answered, “so you can travel with me, as I actually know the way. We leave tomorrow morning.”

 

Early in the next morning, Ria and Farkas were on the road westwards out of Whiterun, when they passed a demolished watchtower. “What happened here?” Ria asked, not exactly wanting to come across anything able to destroy a Watchtower like that.

“A dragon attacked”, Farkas explained, “the guards killed the beast but the next morning it came back to life. It then flew towards Riverwood, were it was killed once again, this time staying dead.” When they passed near a fort, Farkas indicated they should sneak passed it, “bandits have taken the fortress, as we don’t have the manpower to clear them out between the two of us, we will leave them be for now.”

 

Far enough from the road, they returned to the road, which now led northwards from the fort. After a few miles they reached an old Cairn. “Dustman’s Cairn”, Farkas explained leading the way inside. “It looks like someone has been digging here”, Farkas remarked a bit later, “and recently too, thread lightly.”

“Whoever it is”, Ria replied, “they are most certainly armed.”

Ria showed Farkas a freshly carved up draugr. Both Farkas and Ria drew their weapons and proceeded deeper inside.

 

It didn’t take long for the first living (well, not exactly that, but still) draugr to appear. “For Talos!” Ria shouted as she threw herself against it, cutting away with her two swords.

“Be more careful”, Farkas chided her, “I don’t want to have to carry you back to Jorrvaskr on my back.” Ria glared at Farkas but chose not to reply. More draugr appeared, Farkas took his stand in the center of a room, swinging his sword around in giant sweeps. Ria danced her swords through the rest of the draugr (making sure not to get in the way of Farkas’ sword).

 

Even deeper inside in, they no longer came across (sort of) living draugr for a while, spider webs could be seen though. When they came into some kind of throne room, they saw one doorway leading to a small alcove and the other (which was locked) to a corridor. It was rather obvious that the way to proceed would lead through the corridor. “I’ll pull the lever in the alcove”, Ria decided, “it probably opens the gate to the corridor.”

“Wait”, Farkas warned Ria, just as she pulled the lever in the alcove causing a dropgate to lock her up inside. “Now look what you’ve gotten yourself into”, Farkas chided, “no worries, just sit tight. I’ll find the release.” At that moment a bunch of warriors ran into the room. Farkas turned around to face them, clearly not trusting them.

“It’s time to die dog”, one of the warriors taunted, “we knew you’d be coming here. Your mistake Companion.”

“Which one is that?” one of the other warriors asked, causing Ria to wonder what kind of people would call Farkas a that.

“It doesn’t matter”, the first one replied, “he wears that armor, he dies. Killing you will make for an excellent story.”

 

“None of you will be alive to tell it”, Farkas warned them quite clearly before dropping his sword and bending over. An astonished Ria saw the change coming over Farkas, in a matter of seconds a mighty werewolf stood in his place. The warriors attacked, werewolf Farkas didn’t hesitate and took them out one by one. Afterwards he ran through the now opened corridor. The gate locking Ria away opened a minute later.

 

“I hope I didn’t scare you”, Farkas told her as he returned. Ria didn’t answer but only stared at him. “It’s a blessing given to some of us”, Farkas explained, “we can be like wild beasts, fearsome.” Then he noticed Ria wasn’t exactly listening. “Ria!” Farkas shouted, which did get a reaction.

“You didn’t kid about it when you said you weren’t the small sword kind of guy”, Ria remarked. It took some while for Farkas to understand the remark, before he remembered he hadn’t put his armor back on yet.

 

“You are most certainly the most weird recruit we’ve ever had”, Farkas remarked, “most would certainly have mentioned the fact I turned into a werewolf.”

“You were just distracting me”, Ria replied, “otherwise I would have said something about that too. Not that I minded the distraction at that.”

“I suggest you pull yourself together”, Farkas chided, “there are still draugr deeper in, and I doubt we have seen the last of the Silver Hand.”

“Who’s the Silver Hand?” Ria wondered.

“They call themselves werewolf hunters”, Farkas explained, “in fact they are nothing but thugs who torture the werewolves they capture. They do not care whether they are man-eaters or not.”

 

A bit later, they entered the corridor, were more of the warriors attacked them, Ria and Farkas managed to defeat them easily enough though. The archer they encountered later on proved a bit more challenging (neither of them had a shield after all), but eventually even the archer didn’t prove a match for them. He wasn’t the last of the Silver Hand though. More dead draugr and living Silver Hand warriors were encountered when they continued on their way, causing Ria to wonder about their stupidity, if they would just had the sense to stay together, then Ria and Farkas would have been overwhelmed ages ago, not that she complained.

 

Then they were attacked by draugr and Silver Hand warriors simultaneously, luckily it seemed as if they were each other’s enemies as well. The fight took somewhat longer this time either way. Eventually they reached a locked iron gate. “The key should be somewhere in here”, Farkas told Ria, “you check the left of the room, I check the right.”

Ria began searching and quickly found a chest containing a key (these ancient Nords where quite strange at that, why bother locking everything down, but leave a key for trespassers to find?), “I think I found it.” Ria unlocked the gate and they proceeded, rapidly encountering and dispatching several skeevers.

More draugr and Silver Hand were encountered before they finally reached the altar room, which had the piece of Wuuthrad prominently displaced on the altar. “Does this sound too easy to you?” Ria asked, not entirely trusting it.

“There’s only one way to find out”, Farkas supposed. Ria took the fragment of Wuuthrad after which the draugr began rising, all at once. Ria and Farkas pulled back to the center of the Altar Room where they took their stand back to back.

 

The next few minutes, Ria couldn’t think of anything else than the fact that she had to slam her swords into the draugr. She didn’t know how many she cut down, but simply kept on fighting until it was finally over. The room by now, was littered with dead draugr. Ria was still calming herself when she noticed Farkas had fallen down. “No you don’t”, Ria swore, before unleashing all the magicka she could grasp, in fact she had quite a lot of magicka (unfortunately, she only knew restoration and even worse, she somehow couldn’t use it unless she was angry)

 

Farkas came back to consciousness unnaturally fast (probably due to the fact that Ria had used a lot of healing magic on him). Drained of her magicka, Ria felt quite weak as she started searching for magicka potions in her bag. “You’ve got to be kidding me”, she swore, “I seriously didn’t bring any damn magicka potion.”

“The Companions don’t use magic”, Farkas automatically answered, still a bit groggy due to him having been injured right before and only having heard the magicka part of the sentence.

“Wait a minute?” Ria retorted, “you have no problems whatsoever with being indebted to a daedra, but you do not want anyone to use restoration magic?”

 

“It’s not the same”, Farkas objected.”

“Of course it isn’t”, Ria replied, “restoration is benign, Hircine isn’t.”

Farkas could hardly argue against that and decided to stay silent for a while, until Ria managed to sit up once again, the dizziness having passed. “Thank you”, Farkas reluctantly told Ria, knowing he wouldn’t have lived if she hadn’t used magic on him.

“You’re welcome”, Ria replied a bit later, still a bit annoyed about Farkas’ initial reaction, “I didn’t feel like carrying you on my back.” Farkas began to laugh, remembering what he had told Ria after she had killed the first draugr.

 

After both had taken a few healing potions, Ria’s restoration had only done so much after all (and it wasn’t as if she hadn’t had injuries of her own), Farkas decide they should probably talk before heading back to Jorrvaskr. “Before we head back”, he remarked, “is there anything you’d like to ask me?”

“About the werewolf thing you mean?” Ria replied, flushing red.

“What was that about?” Farkas wondered (never before having seen that particular reaction while speaking about werewolves).

“My mind kind of connected werewolves to you being naked”, Ria replied quite bluntly, “you probably don’t think so much of being naked anymore, as you probably change quite a lot, but usually I only encounter naked people during sex.”

 

Now it was Farkas’ turn to flush. “Are you sure you and Vilkas are brothers?” Ria joked, “he didn’t even flush while giving me a dishonourable proposal.”

“You are really enjoying this aren’t you?” Farkas asked still red faced.

“Very much”, Ria grinned before deciding, what the hell, and tiptoeing up to Farkas to kiss him. Farkas didn’t immediately answer the kiss, being rather surprised, but after a few seconds he started returning the kiss. “Why me?” Farkas asked after a while breaking of the kiss, “most girls prefer Vilkas?”

“He's way too smooth talking”, Ria replied, “and stop speaking.” Ria once again began kissing Farkas, slowly unbuckling his trousers.


	3. A Newfound Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> on the way back to Jorrvaskr, they meet a broken cart with a crazy jester, a forsworn and a half bosmeri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is largely identical to chapter 13 in the previous work, only from a different viewpoint

“There is something going on over there”, Farkas mentioned, “it could very well be that those two are trying to rob the cart.”

“Let’s take a look”, Ria suggested, “if necessary we can always lend a hand.” It quickly became clear that the problem with the cart wasn’t bandits trying to rob it.

“Excuse me”, the Breton man standing next to the cart began to speak, “do you by any chance know anything about repairing carts?”

“We’re Companions of Jorrvaskr”, Farkas answered, “we are on a job and we don’t have the time.” In fact it was a lie, but Farkas wanted to continue to Jorrvaskr as soon as possible, getting the creeps from the jester standing next to the cart.

Ria objected, “you can’t just leave them here like that, we are supposed to help people Farkas.”

“We are warriors, not carpenters Ria”, Farkas replied.

 

The Breton now asked a wholly unexpected question, “would that by any chance be Rhiannon De Agnis?”

“It’s Ria?” Ria answered after the shock had passed, “I hate being called Rhiannon. But yes, that’s me. How do you know?”

“The girl looks like you”, Farkas remarked having taken a closer look at the strangers (he had grasped that leaving immediately wouldn’t happen anyhow).

“What does a bosmeri girl looking like me have to do with anything?” Ria asked still not understanding.

“Everything”, the girl answered, “Tiberius De Agnis is one of the Blades …”

“Was”, Ria interrupted the girl, “he disappeared during the war.”

“He didn’t dissapear”, the girl corrected her, “he was send as an agent into Valenwood.”

 

“And how exactly would you know that?” Ria asked, “unless bosmeri age vastly slower than humans, you were barely even born at the time of my father’s disappearance.”

“Because he told me”, the girl answered, “he’s my father too, you can ask him yourself if you don’t believe me. He’s in …”

 

The Breton interrupted the girl claiming to be Ria’s sister, “sorry, but I really need a word with Ti’alma”, walking with the girl (clearly named Ti’alma) out of human hearing range.

Farkas could clearly understand everything though (having the superior hearing of a werewolf), not that he chose to mention this at the moment (Cicero was next to them after all). A few minutes later, Ti’alma and the Breton returned to the cart.

“I’ll make sure your father will leave a message at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood”, the Breton promised Ria, “then you can arrange a meeting place between yourselves, it wouldn’t be safe for you to know the location of the Blades base.”

Farkas softly murmured something (in fact something about it being in a forsworn camp, not that anyone except the half elf heard him even speaking, not that she understood what he said).

“Did you know that bosmeri have exception hearing”, Ria’s (might be) sister remarked, “I might only be half bosmeri, but I still couldn’t help you murmur something.” Ria hadn’t heard anything, but apparently Farkas had indeed murmured something since he suddenly froze. “I’m not sure about human customs”, Ti’alma continued, “but in Valenwood that would be considered quite rude.”

“Nothing”, Farkas replied (clearly not truthfully, but still).

 

“Can someone help poor Cicero”, the strange looking Imperial at the cart, Ria had quite forgotten about him, interrupted, “I can never get mother home like this.” After taking a quick glance at the cart, Ria agreed.

“Does anyone actually know anything about carts?” the Breton asked.

“I make a point not to learn anything which requires butchering plants”, Ti’alma replied. What was that about? Ria wondered, considering it quite strange for someone to be vehemently against killing plants of all things.

“Do I look like a carpenter?” Farkas almost sneered.

Ria didn’t answer but kneeled down to take a proper look at the cart. “You only need a new axis”, Ria told Cicero, “Farkas, why don’t you and … What is your name again?”

 

“He’s Odvan”, Ti’alma replied.

Ria began over new, “why don’t Farkas and Odvan go to the farm a mile eastwards? I’m quite sure they can get you a new axis for the cart. If you bring it here, then I can probably repair the cart.” Clearly distrusting each other, Farkas and Odvan agreed to go to the farm anyway.

 

“I suppose the Thalmor found out about father”, Ria supposed, for now accepting that the chances were quite good that Ti’alma really was her sister.

“They did”, Ti’alma replied, before telling Ria her story from when she had to flee Valenwood until now (obviously leaving several parts out of it, but Ria chose not to remark on that).

“You really didn’t know anything about it until then?” Ria asked baffled having heard of the way Ti’alma had discovered her not being full bosmer, “how did you get that message?”

Ti’alma showed Ria an amulet, “when I wear it, this amulet makes magicians think I’m a full bosmer. But that’s not everything about it, with an arcane enchanter I could unlock a message magically hidden on it. To say I was shocked was quite an understatement.”

“I can believe that”, Ria answered quite truthfully.

 

Farkas and Odvan returned with a new axis. “Can you lift the cart?” Ria asked, “then I can take off the aft wheels.”

Before Farkas had a chance to begin lifting the cart, Odvan began to levitate it by magic. “I can’t hold this very long, so hurry”, Odvan warned.

Ria didn’t have to be told twice, together with Farkas, they removed the wheels and the broken axis. Afterwards, Farkas put his shoulder under the cart, “you can stop your spell, I can hold it for now.”

Under detailed instructions from Ria, they eventually managed to place the new axis and connect the wheels, alternating between Odvan’s magic and Farkas’ muscles to lift the cart. Luckily for them, Odvan seemed to have quite a lot of stamina and magicka potions.

The new axis should hold”, Ria promised Cicero. “We must go now”, Farkas now said, “that werewolf could be making new victims.”

 

Knowing full well that the only werewolf around there was Farkas, Ria understood that Farkas was making excuses to leave, she chose not to remark on that though, “you’re right. We’ll pass through Riverwood on our way back and leave a message as Odvan said.”After distancing themselves from the cart, Farkas softly whispered to Ria, “don’t look back, but that Odvan is most certainly a forsworn.” Farkas suddenly stiffened. A few seconds later, they continued, “that Ti’alma heard me, she really has a very good hearing. That Cicero character offered to kill us, but only decided not to after Ti’alma objected vehemently. I don’t know for certain, but I believe that jester is a lot more dangerous than the Forsworn.”

“Let’s hope we never have to meet that jester again”, Ria answered, before grasping the fact that Farkas had said Forsworn, “which Forsworn?”

“That Odvan told Ti’alma that it would be dangerous to send us to Karthspire camp, which is a forsworn camp. In fact he said that we wouldn’t survive it and that while he had no problem with me dying, he thought she would prefer you not to die”, Farkas explained, before adding, “and Odvan is a Reachmen name.”

“How in Talos’ name did my father up in a Forsworn camp?” Ria couldn’t help but wonder, “as far as I know, the Reachmen have always resented the Blades for helping Tiber Septim conquering the Reach.”

“I don’t know”, Farkas replied truthfully, “but we can sneak in and try to get a message to your father if he really is there. After the fragment of Wuuthrad is in Jorrvaskr that is.”

“Are you certain?” Ria asked.

“How hard can it be?” Farkas replied.

 

Near sunset, they arrived back in Jorrvaskr, Ria went to her room to try and get some sleep. Too soon, Vilkas came to get her, “Farkas told me you acted honourably, which means you are officially accepted into the Companions. If you want jobs, you should speak to the members of the Circle. That means myself and Farkas. Aela, you’ve met her. Then there are Skjor and Kodlak, our Harbinger. But you don’t have to ask a job now, as Farkas said something about heading off whenever you felt up to it, so I presume you already have one.” Ria went back to Farkas.


	4. Karthspire Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone sneaks into a forsworn camp (and there is also a dragon involved)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more background about the De Agnis family is included in here

“I know you promised to leave a message in Riverwood, but it is quite a detour”, Farkas argued, “we can always leave a message if we don’t find your father.”

“I suppose you’re right”, Ria gave in, by now they were in the Reach. It was more difficult for Farkas then for Ria (due to both Farkas’ larger size and his steel armor), but both now tried to travel unnoticed, succeeding rather acceptable.

 

Farkas knew he had no chance whatsoever to sneak undetected through a forsworn camp, so when they neared Karthspire, he decided to stay outside. Ria sneaked closer and quickly found an unused set of forsworn armor. After putting it on (seriously, why even bother wearing such flimsy armor sets? you could just as well fight naked), Ria entered the camp. Miraculously, no one stopped her. After having passed the entire camp, she had seen no one even remotely resembling her father.

 

“I didn’t see him”, Ria told Farkas while changing back to her own armor outside the camp, “let’s go.”

Farkas agreed and they sneaked away from the camp, which was when they saw the dragon. “It would surely bring glory to the Companions if we could slay that beast, wouldn’t it?” Farkas grinned.

“I must be a sucker for your grins”, Ria remarked before following Farkas. Both taking their bows and starting to fire arrows at the dragon, barely even touching the beast at that (neither of them was that good of an archer). “I don’t think we’re making much of a difference”, Ria remarked as she saw the dragon getting quite annoyed by the arrows flying in his general direction (even though most didn’t even hit him, “it’s only becoming angry.”

“Let’s hope it will become angry enough to sweep down, so we can engage it in melee”, Farkas answered. That’s when more arrows and a lot of magic began to hit the dragon, damaging it a lot harder than everything Farkas and Ria had thrown at the beast. Suddenly it shouted a stream of fire in Ria and Farkas’ direction, which would surely have been their end if not for the timely ward between them and the dragonfire.

 

The Forsworn, which it clearly were, managed to take down the dragon rather quickly, after which Farkas’ sword finished it off. For a while Ria and Farkas now stared at the Forsworn (and were stared at in turn), neither lowering their weapons. The Hagraven in charge seemed on the verge of ordering her men to kill them, when Tiberius De Agnis walked into view.

“Ria” Tiberius exclaimed (seeing a warrior looking quite similar to his other daughter, only with human ears), “is that really you?”

It took a while for Ria to recognize him (his ears having been changed into elven ones didn’t help, neither did the fact that she hadn’t seen him in 20 years), but eventually she replied, “father?”

 

The hagraven didn’t think a family meeting appropriate at the moment and began to speak, “lower your weapons. If the Blade vouches for you, you may live for now, but not while armed.”

“As if that’s going to happen”, Farkas sneered, clearly distrusting the hagraven (not entirely unwarranted at that).

The hagraven didn’t immediately answer, but simply paralyzed Ria and Farkas, “if I wanted you death, you would be dead already. Take their weapons, and don’t try to change spawn of Hircine.”

 

“My daughters would never…” Tiberius objected.

“Not her”, the hagraven replied, “the Nord, he’s a werewolf.”

Now the Paralyze spell had lost its effect, the forsworn forced Farkas and Ria to enter the camp, while the hagraven stayed behind to curse the dragon’s body. Inside the camp, Tiberius and a Breton woman (clearly not a Forsworn, as this Breton didn’t walk around half naked), took over and showed the Companions into the Blades temple.

“Did you defeat the dragon?” a Nord asked them as they came into the main hall.

“We did Esbern”, Tiberius answered, “together with my oldest daughter and … him.” It was clear that Tiberius wasn’t exactly in favor of lycanthropy.

 

“I don’t believe for a moment is is a coincidence that you manage to appear here”, Delphine remarked distrusting, “how did you find us? And how do we know that the Thalmor can’t find us either?”

“I overheard the ones named Odvan and Ti’alma saying that it would be unwise to send us to Karthspire Camp”, Farkas explained, “in fact they said something about it getting us killed.”

“They thought we couldn’t hear them”, Ria defended her sister (although she had only just met her), “but Farkas just happens to have a very good hearing.”

“I bet”, Tiberius replied disapprovingly.

 

“Why in Talos’ name are you even based near a Forsworn camp?” Ria couldn’t help asking after a while, “I thought the Blades were quite unpopular in the Reach.”

“We are”, Delphine replied, “but the thing is that no one alive knows more about Dragons than Esbern here, which was sufficient to keep us alive.”

“And then there is the fact that even the Forsworn don’t kill the father-in-law of the of a hagraven’s son, especially if said son is the dragonborn”, Tiberius added.

“Wait”, Ria objected, “not only do I have a half sister that I didn’t know about until recently, but she’s also married, she can’t be more than 20, can she?”

 

“That’s not all he said”, Farkas remarked, “he also mentioned her husband is the dragonborn, the one named Odvan, isn’t it?”

“Exactly”, Delphine replied, “which is why we cooperate with the Forsworn, the Blades are sworn to assist the Dragonborn after all.”

 

“Makes sense I suppose”, Farkas admitted, although he would have preferred anyone else than a Forsworn as Dragonborn (well, not a Thalmor obviously, but still), “what happens now?”

“We will try to get you safely back to Jorrvaskr as soon as possible”, Tiberius promised, “but first I’d like to have a word with my daughter.”

“Just take a look over there”, Esbern suggested to Farkas, pointing to Alduin’s wall. I can assure you it’s quite interesting. Delphine followed them, quite certain Farkas wouldn’t be interested for a long time. After all, the only ones actually interested in the damn thing were Esbern himself and Madanach.

 

When Farkas was out of hearing, Tiberius knew about a werewolf’s advanced hearing and made certain he really was out of hearing, Tiberius began to speak, “what were you thinking? Running around with a werewolf, consorting with the servants of a daedra is not how I raised you.”

“How you raised me?” Ria retorted, “I was eight when you left. Even grandfather didn’t know where you were.”

“How could Marius De Agnis, Grandmaster of the Blades not know”, Tiberius replied softly now, “He probably didn’t tell you for your own safety.”

 

“I didn’t want safety”, Ria now softly remarked as well, “I just wanted my father.”

“Me and Nimriel, she was Ti’alma’s mother, were the only ones father could send on short notice, with most of our agents there dead, we needed new eyes in Valenwood”, Tiberius explained, “in that time, we still hoped that the war could be won and we would be able to return home. It turned out differently. When the war finally ended, we couldn’t leave Valenwood, as the Thalmor were too vigilant. Then Nimriel became pregnant with Ti’alma, making sure we couldn’t even try to leave without risking our then unborn child.”

 

“When the Thalmor discovered our identity”, Tiberius continued, “we received a warning just in time to help Ti’alma escape. Nimriel and I decided to make our stand, taking as much Thalmor with us as we possibly could, hopefully allowing Ti’alma to escape Valenwood. We killed many of them, but eventually they managed to paralyze us, taking us away for questioning. They wanted to know, after all, how I had managed to remain undetected in Valenwood, despite not being bosmeri.”

 

“When I refused to answer their questions, which could have endangered Ti’alma, they began torturing Nimriel right in front of me. All that time, she kept on repeating that I wasn’t to disclose anything, I don’t think the Thalmor had ever intended for her to survive their torture.”

“I’m sorry”, Ria told her father, she might still have been somewhat angry about the fact that her father had left her (and married someone else than her mother, getting her pregnant as well), but hearing he had saw her being tortured to her death, made sure Ria didn’t have the heart to hold it against her father anymore.

“I don’t know how long I remained in the Embassy”, Tiberius continued, forcing himself to finish the story, “but eventually a young forsworn, who had infiltrated the Embassy, rescued me. She brought me to the temple of Kynareth in Whiterun, where the priestess healed my injuries.”

 

“But enough about me”, Tiberius said after a while, “I want to hear your story.”

“After left us, it was only me and mother who remained. The house in the Imperial City felt empty without you”, Ria began.

“We should have stayed in Bruma”, Tiberius remarked, “then you could at least have spend more time with your grandparents.”

“I did spend time with them”, Ria replied, “I used to spend my summers in Cloud Ruler Temple, where your fellow Blades would act as a whole bunch of older brothers and sisters to me.”

For a moment those memories brought a smile to Ria’s face, before remembering that they had all died. “Maybe it was for the best that we lived in the Imperial City”, Ria admitted, “I’m not sure we would have survived in Bruma, I saw what was left of the city after the Thalmor had passed, grandmother had died when the Thalmor attacked Bruma. I later heard that the Thalmor had dragged her out her home, just because she was married to grandfather, and locked her inside the Great Chapel of Talos before they burned it. I fear they would have done the same to me had I been there.” Tiberius had already known his mother was no longer alive, but hearing about the manner of her death made it all even more real.

 

“Mother later married a Bruma Nord”, Ria continued when both had recovered somewhat, “he was a good man, but not you. When he died, a fall of his horse if you can believe it. I decided to leave Cyrodiil in order to join the Companions, which is where I met Farkas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took over the Thalmor having burned the Great Chapel of Talos in Bruma from someone else, I think it was Morninglight


	5. About Talos worshipping in a Forsworn Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The forsworn have ambushed a Thalmor patrol, which happened to have contained a certain Imperial agent who had been abducted out of Markarth; almost forgotten: Ria has a discussion about the divinity of Talos with Madanach
> 
> Ow yes, Ria owns Delphine in a swordfight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skip quite a lot of story, in order not to repeat parts of the previous story, by now, Ti'alma and Odvan have returned to Karthspire Camp.
> 
> Giving that Ti'alma has been spoken to by the Night Mother and made listener, she has left with the Karthspire hagraven (named Orla), who had been a Speaker in the Black Hand before ascending as a hagraven (the Night Mother had suggested this, knowing it would help make sure Ti'alma wouldn't be killed outright by Astrid)
> 
> Madanach has in the meanwhile decided to keep Ria around as a hostage and force Farkas to journey with Odvan in order to track down an Elder Scroll (Farkas doesn't want the world to end and he figures that Ria wouldn't be harmed while her father is around, which is why he complied)

“How did you manage to escape the Thalmor?” Ria asked Delphine a little bit intrigued, finally having recognized her, “last time I saw you, you where in Cloud Ruler Temple.”

“You actually remember me?” Delphine remarked surprised, “you couldn’t have been more than ten when you last came to Cloud Ruler Temple.”

“You were the first to learn me swordmanship”, Ria returned, “how could I ever forget you”

 

Delphine began to laugh, clearly remembering the little girl Ria had been, when she took up a practice sword and began swinging it around. “It kept you from mischief didn’t it?” Delphine supposed, “as I don’t think anyone, apart from the Grandmaster himself that is, ever said no to you back there.”

“It was a shock when grandfather did”, Ria agreed, “no one else wanted to tell me off for climbing on the roof, which I remember as being fun, although it probably was quite dangerous.”

“It surely was”, Delphine replied, “to answer your question, your grandfather had send some us away, hoping that we could form a core to rebuild the Blades.”

 

“I hope you will succeed”, Ria supposed, “and I can promise this, if you manage to end the dragon menace first, then it would be my honour to help deal with the Thalmor.”

“The honour would be mine”, Delphine answered, “that being said, would you like a set of Blades Armor or a katana? We have quite an armoury in here.”

“I saw”, Ria answered, having done quite a bit of exploring inside, “I thank you for the offer, but I prefer my own light armor and longswords. And there is also the fact that for the time being it might be safer not to wear Blades armour.” Speaking of Ria’s swords, the Forsworn had delivered Ria and Farkas their weapons to the Temple.

 

“You might have a point”, Delphine admitted, “but I, for one, do not intend to sink back into the shadows. Alduin has come and by Talos, the Blades will come out and meet him, even if it’s just me, Esbern and your father.”

“I can’t speak for all the Companions”, Ria remarked, “I have only just been accepted in after all, but I do know that they will give their support in the fight against Alduin. All you have to do is ask.”

“That would be quite welcome”, Delphine admitted.

 

“How would you feel about a bit of swordfighting?” Ria suggested a bit later, “for old times sake that is.”

“Just remember that I won’t let you win as easily as I did when you were a kid”, Delphine answered. Delphine took her katana, while Ria took her swords. “Ready?” Delphine asked.

“I am”, Ria answered. Delphine opened the fight with a downward swing, Ria used her righthand sword to divert the blow and went in the offense with her lefthand sword. For about a minute, the dance of attack and riposte continued, until eventually Ria managed to disarm Delphine.

“You’ve got skills”, Delphine admitted, “I should have remembered that you were a leftie, most dual wielders tend to favor their right arm and I became a little disoriented when I noticed you didn’t.”

“I doubt it would have made any difference”, a Forsworn interrupted (most of the Forsworn weer dual wielders after all), “the main difference is that you maintain a balance between offense and defense, while she went fullout in the offense.”

“That might be true”, Delphine replied (the Blades had after all been bodyguards, which had had its effect on their fighting style), “but that doesn’t explain what you are doing in the temple?”

“Madanach wants a word”, the Forsworn replied, when he saw Delphine about to head outside, he continued, “not with you, with the Companion.”

“What about?” Ria asked.

“No idea”, the Forsworn replied after which he started to walk out, “you don’t have to bother leaving your weapons here, you won’t get past Borkul anyhow.” Having seen the tall orsimer herself, Ria agreed with the assessment.

 

“Good”, Madanach said spotting Ria, “follow me.”

“Where to?” Ria asked, not exactly trusting the king of the Forsworn.

“It’s not far”, Madanach replied, “and I doubt you’d believe me if I told you.”

Ria grudgingly decided to follow the Forsworn leader (if he wanted her dead, he could do it even without her following him after all). They quickly reached a woman who was clearly severely injured. “I don’t suppose you know this person”, Madanach asked, not really waiting for an answer, “let’s just say that she had been asking questions about us in Markarth.”

“So you attacked her?” Ria supposed.

 

“Actually no”, Madanach replied, not even remotely insulted by Ria’s supposition, “a Thalmor justiciar did, we just happened to have ambushed the Thalmor transporting her. The thing is that our healers haven’t been able to help her. If Orla was here, she could have done it, but she left with your sister.”

“You mean to tell me your best healer was a hagraven”, Ria acclaimed.

“Not exactly where hagravens are famous for ain’t it”, Madanach answered, “anyhow, we heard you have some skills as a healer, I want you to try and help her.”

 

“What exactly happened to her?” Ria asked now looking at the injured woman, “those wounds should be easily treatable, shouldn’t they.”

“Except they aren’t”, Madanach replied, “the Thalmor have poisoned her, we don’t know which poison. She is locked inside her own body, I believe she is hearing and seeing everything around her, being unable to move or communicate.”

“Talos”, Ria acclaimed, “that’s horrible.”

“We believe her to be an agent for the Imperial Legion”, Madanach continued, ignoring both the Talos remark and the horrible comment, “the very fact that the Thalmor captured an Imperial agent, indicates that she found out something the Thalmor didn’t like. I want to know what, which is where you come in.”

“You do know that I have no actual training whatsoever”, Ria objected, “I usually just do something.”

“However you want to name it”, Madanach responded, “it apparently works.”

 

“It’s not as if I can make it any worse”, Ria gave in, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Excellent”, Madanach answered, “I’ll make sure you get all the magicka and healing potions you need. And one other thing, try not to mention Talos around my men, he’s a touchy subject.”

“Seriously”, Ria responded indignantly, “you let your people worship every random daedric prince, but you have a problem with worshiping an aedra, just because he happens to have conquered your lands ages ago.”

“My people never agreed upon Talos being an aedra”, Madanach remarked.

“Well join the queue”, Ria replied, growing angry, “as far as I’m concerned, the Thalmor and everyone else denying Talos’ divinity can bugger of to Oblivion.” Magic started to envelop the Imperial agent, who suddenly convulsed before lying still once again. “I think I did it”, Ria said more relaxed now, “sorry about earlier, I never seem able to reach out to my magicka if I’m not angry.”

“That’s why you decided to argue about Talos with me”, Madanach realized, “I was starting to think you wanted me to kill you.”

“It seemed the fastest way to get my magicka flowing”, Ria replied before explaining, “I think you should take a look at her, but I think I flushed out the poison.”

 

“You were right”, Madanach informed Ria after having examined her himself (he might not have been good at restoration, but he was able to detect injuries), “she’s still quite weak, but I think you saved her.” Madanach seemed to hesitate before continuing, “you should think about learning more magic.”

“No I shouldn’t”, Ria replied, “I don’t think it would be a good idea to give someone who can only use magic while angry the power to lob fireballs at people.”

“I was actually thinking about trying to get over your block”, Madanach replied, “although I do am quite fond of lobbing fireballs at people.”

“Of course you are”, Ria retorted.

“I don’t think there is a reason why you shouldn’t be able to use magic while you’re calm”, Madanach continued after a while, “you should be able to overcome this.”

“How many times did you encounter such a situation?” Ria sneered.

“Quite often actually”, Madanach replied, “to give myself as an example, at first, I couldn’t use any magic without closing my eyes.”

“Which I’m sure most Nords would have been grateful about”, Ria replied.

“Probably”, Madanach agreed, “but that’s not exactly the point, my point is that I want to help you break the block.”

 

“Why would you even want to help me?” Ria asked, knowing good enough that Madanach wouldn’t be doing it out of the goodness of his heart.

“Why do you think?” Madanach answered.

“Because I’m one of the Companions”, Ria realized, “you want at least one of the Companions to have a reason not to entirely dislike your Forsworn if you ever want to take back the Reach. You hope I would be able to convince them not to interfere.”

“Exactly”, Madanach replied, “that’s where we went wrong last time. The people in the Reach were mostly behind us at the time, even some of the Nords, however grudgingly. Our problem were the people across our borders. If we want to succeed the next time, we will need allies.”

“At least you’re honest about your intentions”, Ria answered after a while, “and while I still don’t trust you. I agree that breaking that block could be a good idea, I want my father to supervise though.”

“I can live with that”, Madanach replied, before pointing at Orla’s altar, “from tomorrow morning, I want you to meet me at the altar over there by sunrise every day.”

“I’ll be there”, Ria promised.

The next weeks where a blur between magic practice (basically shouting at Madanach until her magicka began flowing), sword practice (also with some of the Forsworn, who after all were more proficient in dual wielding), more magic practice and to top that off more sword practice. It was actually quite a relief, when Madanach informed her one morning that the lesson would be skipped for once, “the Imperial agent has asked to see you.”

“How is she?” Ria asked.

“You can ask her yourself”, Madanach replied guiding Ria to the Imperial agent. “Rhiannon De Agnis”, Madanach said, “meet Margret of Cyrodiil. Margret of Cyrodiil, Rhiannon De Agnis.”


	6. Margret's story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out why the Thalmor had taken Margret and a certain jarl proves to be in cahoots with the Thalmor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a short chapter, the next one will take place after the Dragonborn flies off on Odahviing's back to Skuldafn

“I must say I didn’t expect a fellow Imperial in here”, Margret remarked, “how by all planes of Oblivion did you ever end up in here? Before I forget, would you mind if I call you Rhiannon?”

“Just call me Ria, I prefer that”, Ria replied, “and to answer your question, I haven’t exactly come here entirely willingly. My shieldbrother Farkas and I, had our own reasons to take a look inside this camp. Which went quite well actually, if it wasn’t for the dragon we encountered while sneaking away.”

“Shieldbrother?” Margret interrupted, “you’re a Companion.”

“I only joined quite recently”, Ria explained, “but yes. Farkas thought that slaying the dragon would bring great glory to the Companions, so we attacked it. The Forsworn happened to have had a similar idea though. After the dragon was defeated, the Forsworn decided not to kill us.”

 

“You’re clearly leaving out something”, Margret grasped, “but then again, you know that I’m an Imperial Intelligence Agent. And as you did heal me, I’ll just let it pass for now. Not that I won’t try to find out.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else”, Ria replied, “but what happened to you, I thought the Thalmor where allies to the Empire now. Why in Talos’ name did they capture you.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call us allies”, Margret replied, “which doesn’t make it less unwise to refer to Talos when you’re speaking to Imperial operatives.” Margret grinned, so obviously she didn’t mean to threaten Ria. “If you would like to inform the Thalmor”, Ria replied with an equal grin, “go right ahead.”

 

“We both know I wouldn’t”, Margret replied a bit more serious, “but I’ll get on with the story. I had been looking into the forsworn murders which happened quite regularly in Markarth, at least until Thonar was killed. I had always suspected it wasn’t all what it seemed. Especially since none of the victims where even remotely opposed to the Forsworn, most would even have supported the Forsworn should they retake Markarth. During my investigation, I discovered several altmeri had been active in convincing the Reachmen to rise up during the war. Believing it might help explain the murders, I investigated this lead. That’s how I finally found a Reachmen willing to tell me the identity of one of these altmeri. It turned out that the Thalmor head justiciar, Ondolemar, had been largely behind that.”

 

“What did you do with the information?” Ria asked.

“I decided to act upon it and informed the Jarl”, Margret explained, “he assured me that he would look into it. The next thing I know, I was suddenly grabbed out of my room in the Silver-Blood Inn only to wake up here.”

“The Jarl sold you out”, Madanach stated, clearly having been listening the entire time.

“I know”, Margret replied, “I can’t imagine why though. He was captured by the Thalmor during the war, he hates them.”

“So does the Stormcloak”, Madanach replied, “which didn’t stop him from doing their bidding.”

“The Jarl of Windhelm?” Margret retorted disbelieving, “he would never follow Thalmor orders.”

“You just said exactly the same about Igmund”, Madanach answered, “and I didn’t say he knows he is doing their bidding.” Madanach now gave Margret the Ulfric dossier, “this has been discovered inside the Thalmor Embassy, I suggest you read it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have read the first work, you might notice that Tullius doesn't know anything about the forsworn camp during Season Unending, this is mostly due to Madanach having decided to keep Margret from leaving just yet
> 
> She will have a role to play though, just not yet


	7. About the Silver Hand and Witches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I make a jump once again (a summary can be read in the notes)
> 
> After Ti'alma, Tiberius and the others descend from Dragonsreach (the Dragonborn has just left on Odahviing's back), they notice Jorrvaskr is under attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Brotherhood hasn't remained idle (which reminds me, Astrid has been killed by the Summerset Shadows, after they had been hired to exterminate them by Brynjolf), the Forsworn hagravens had performed the Sacrament, wanting the Brotherhood to exterminate the entire Silver-Blood Family (including a cousin still in the Legion, Silver-Bloods in Windhelm etc., I invented those Silver-Bloods in order to kill them), furthermore, they had the Dark Brotherhood lying in ambush in case the summit would fail (in which case they would have to assassinate Ulfric, Galmar and Igmund)
> 
> Elenwen, having been asked to leave the the summit, discovers Arnbjorn, who manages to subdue her (with the aid of Festus Krex and Gabriella)
> 
> After receiving the news of the recent string of murders (Hadvar and Ralof having been send as messengers to inform their respective leaders about the dead of the Silver-Bloods). Ulfric decided not to press for Markarth (knowing that most Nords in Markarth would sooner join the Forsworn than support him, as he had killed a lot of them, just because they didn't take up arms and join him as he butchered Markarth's citizens)
> 
> After the summit, the Imperial delegation and the Stormcloak delegation leave first. The Blades and Companions present (Ria and Farkas) accompany Balgruuf to Whiterun, the Blades in order to help preparing the dragon trap, Ria and Farkas in order to inform Kodlak. Ti'alma and Odvan leave as well, but at a slower pace.
> 
> When Arnbjorn approaches Ti'alma (having remained out of view while the others had passed), Odvan wisely distances himself, guessing it had something to do with the Brotherhood (yes, he knows that his wife is the Listener). Arnbjorn eventually changes in his wolf form, and lets Ti'alma and Odvan tie Elenwen on his back (in order to lock her up inside the Sanctuary), Ti'alma obviously explains to Elenwen her intention of eating her later on (enemies must be eaten after all)
> 
> Using FEIM, Odvan grabs Ti'alma and they jump down the mountain (not wanting to walk all the way down)
> 
> The previous work ended when Odvan flew away on Odahviing
> 
> Almost forgotten, also during the previous work, Ti'alma discovers that she is pregnant (but the pregnancy will take quite some time, in my AU, elven pregnancies last 12 months, half elvis ones a bit shorter maybe, but still longer than 9 months)

It was nearly nighttime when Ti’alma came down from Dragonsreach, not knowing whether Odvan would ever return. She was so distracted that she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. “Something is wrong”, Tiberius suddenly mentioned, as he did notice it.

“I don’t care”, Ti’alma replied instantly.

“Someone’s attacking Jorrvaskr”, Tiberius continued nonetheless, “the hall of the Companions, Ria lives there.” It took a while for this to get through to Ti’alma but eventually she pulled herself together enough to draw her sword and run after her father who had begun running towards the danger as soon as he had finished speaking.

 

“Talos take you!” Tiberius shouted as he launched a thunderbolt in the midst of the attackers, following it up with a furious swipe of his katana. Ti’alma came in directly after swinging her own katana. It didn’t take long for Tiberius and Ti’alma to, along with the few Companions outside Jorrvaskr, cut down the Silver Hand warriors outside.

“Some managed to get inside”, a dunmer Companion yelled, before entering Jorrvaskr.

“I’ll get the guards to help”, Tiberius promised, before rushing back towards Dragonreach.

Ti’alma didn’t wait outside, but entered Jorrvaskr, as well. The main hall was already cleared of the Silver Hand, which is why Ti’alma sheeted her katana and drew two daggers instead. The Blade of Woe and an ebony dagger with a soul trap enchantment, both had poison applied to them. The Silver Hand might have expected to have to fight Companions with their Nord sense of fair fighting, but they were absolutely not ready for a part bosmeri who didn’t give a damn about fighting fair. Contrary to the Companions, Ti’alma had absolutely no qualms about stabbing them in the back (mostly using the ebony dagger, Ti’alma liked to fill her black soulgems after all).

 

Eventually the last of the Silver Hand had fled or been cut down (the arrival of the Guards, brought by Tiberius had finally tipped the scales), the Companions began bringing the corpses outside. “Who exactly were these guys?” Ti’alma asked after a while, “why did they attack you?”

“They are honourless thugs”, one of the Companions answered.

“I gathered that”, Ti’alma replied, “but that doesn’t explain why they would choose to attack you lot. You’re not exactly an easy target are you?”

 

“That’s for the Companions to know”, Vilkas replied after a while, “it doesn’t concern you.”

“I put my life at risk to help you”, Ti’alma objected.

“She is right”, Kodlak Whitemane interrupted, “follow me.”

“But”, Vilkas objected, before Kodlak told him off. “Ria”, Kodlak called out, “you should come with me, your father should come as well.”

 

Surprised, the three De Agnis’es followed Kodlak inside, as he led them to his own chamber. “What is going on in here?” Tiberius asked quite bluntly.

“Farkas told me you and your oldest daughter are aware of his condition”, Kodlak began.

“What condition?” Ti’alma asked surprised, “I didn’t notice anything that strange about him. Apart from his hearing being way too good for a human that is.”

“Since you’re talking about it”, Tiberius began, “I don’t suppose you’d have any problems in me telling my youngest?”

 

As Kodlak had no objections, Tiberius began explaining, “he’s a werewolf.”

“So that’s the reason those guys attacked with silver weapons”, Ti’alma interrupted, “but do continue.”

“Is that seriously the only reaction you have on hearing your oldest sister has been running around with a werewolf?” Tiberius asked surprised.

“I can assure you, father”, Ria interrupted in turn, “I did far more than just running with him.”

“I assume that was before you knew”, Tiberius began before being interrupted once again. “Actually it was a few hours after I knew”, Ria ended.

 

Clearly no longer wanting to be anywhere near the conversation, Kodlak was looking longingly at the door, before deciding that what he had to say was too important, “he’s not the only werewolf here.” That silenced Ria and Tiberius (who had been yelling back and forth about the Farkas and Ria thing). “You should hear the story first”, Kodlak told them, “I hope that afterwards, you’ll be willing to help us. As you probably know, the Companions have been around for a thousand years. The curse of lycantrophy hasn’t been with us for more than a few hundred years though.”

“One of my predecessors as a harbinger was once approached by a coven of hagravens”, Kodlak explained, “they promised they could give us more power, he thought it would be something temporary, but it proved not to be.”

“Deals involving Daedric magic never are”, Tiberius interrupted.

“We know that now”, Kodlak continued, “but what you don’t know is that the curse doesn’t just remain during our lives. After our deaths, the Daedric Prince Hircine takes us to her eternal hunting grounds. For some that might be like a heaven come true, but Vilkas, Farkas and I have always wanted to go to Sovngarde.”

 

“How could we help with that?” Ria asked, “I don’t have any power over daedra, I doubt father has either. And sorry sis, but I don’t know you good enough to be able to say the same about you.”

“No apologises needed”, Ti’alma answered, “and no, I don’t.”

“The thing is”, Kodlak continued, “that you don’t have to. The coven which had cursed us in the first place, the Glenmoril covens, are still around. I want to ask you whether you are prepared to enter their lair, kill them and return with their heads. These can be used to break our curses.”

 

“Why us?” Ti’alma asked, not entirely comfortable with shopping off the heads of hagravens (due to her having grown quite fond of Orla).

“Lately I began having dreams”, Kodlak explained, “in them, a woman spoke to me, telling me that the curse will be broken by her kin. She called herself Agneta Poignard.” Kodlak took one of his books and showed them a drawing he had made of her.

“That’s our ancestor”, Tiberius admitted, having seen her portrait more than once (and the statue in Bruma), “you will have my help.”

“Thank you”, Kodlak replied, “how about you two? Before you would worry about that, the Glenmoril coven has nothing to do with the Forsworn, and yes I know about that.”

“I will take the contract”, Ti’alma told Kodlak.

“What contract?” Ria asked surprised.

“The one about us murdering those witches”, Ti’alma replied.”

“They gave their souls to become hagravens”, Ria replied, “killing them isn’t murder.”

“Most people would probably say exactly the same about killing your Farkas”, Ti’alma retorted, neither Kodlak nor Ria had a ready answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I didn't feel like killing off Kodlak just yet
> 
> something happened to Agneta Poignard (the Hero of Kvatch) after having put an end to the Oblivion Crisis with Martin Septim (and no, she didn't become Sheogorath, as you can in TES IV), what exactly happened to her will be explained somewhat in the next work (which is about her), but I will be putting hints in this work from this chapter on (including this chapter)
> 
> Tiberius and Ria obviously start to become suspicious about what exactly Ti'alma is hiding from them (especially Tiberius, as Ria and Ti'alma don't exactly know each other all too well at the moment); and referring to the whole Glenmoril Coven business as a contract was kind of a slip by Ti'alma


	8. Glenmoril Coven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more information about the Hero of Kvatch, a Thalmor patrol gets killed (and has their mission objective read aloud by Ria), obviously the Glenmoril Coven gets destroyed. Tiberius now knows the truth about Ti'alma her allegiance, although Ti'alma isn't aware he knows; and Ria still doesn't know
> 
> Elenwen might be mentioned as well.

“How can our ancestor appear in the Harbinger’s dreams?” Ria asked Tiberius.

“No idea”, Tiberius answered truthfully, “I heard stories of her appearing before, but I always considered these just that, stories.”

“What kind of stories?” Ti’alma asked intrigued.

“By now you probably know that our ancestor Agneta was instrumental in ending the Oblivion Crisis”, Tiberius began, “in which the Thalmor did nothing whatsoever, whatever they might claim. The only thing the Thalmor did during the Oblivion Crisis, was murdering the very people who could have helped protect the Summerset Isles.”

“Enough about them”, Ti’alma interrupted, “they aren’t worth the breath.”

“Good point”, Tiberius agreed before continuing, “after our ancestor had died, many kept on visiting her tomb. Mostly in the cities of Kvatch and Bruma, some people began worshipping her. These people formed a Cult of their own which still exists, the Agnis Cult. Many of them, and some of our own ancestors, claim that she has appeared to them. I personally think they were correct, but that’s just me. Then again, many believe Talos didn’t became a Divine because the other Divines made him one, but because people started worshipping him.”

“So she is a Divine as well”, Ti’alma supposed.

“I’m quite sure that would require quite a lot more worshippers than she has”, Tiberius replied, “but I do believe she became something similar.”

 

Ti’alma suddenly heard a noise. “Someone’s over there”, she whispered, pointing in the direction she heard the noise from. Ti’alma sneaked off to take a look, and soon found the source, five Thalmor soldiers and three wizards. After sneaking back to the others, Ti’alma mouthed ‘Thalmor’. Ria immediately pulled her swords, while Tiberius prepared his magic and Ti’alma drew her bow. Tiberius sneaked to the right flank, while Ti’alma did the same to the left. This left Ria in the Thalmors’ path.

 

Ti’alma opened fire, instantly killing the first wizard (poisoned arrows). The other Thalmor began running in her direction, only to be attacked in the rear by Tiberius and his summoned frost atronach, a second wizard died. The soldiers decided the mage was the bigger problem and wheeled around to attack Tiberius, leaving the last wizard undefended. This allowd Ria to run at the last Thalmor mage, who was still occupied by Ti’alma and Tiberius so she could run him through.

 

“Talos take you”, Ria shouted storming at the soldiers, followed by Ti’alma who had drawn her sword as well.

The sisters managed to take down two of the soldiers, while Tiberius and the atronach killed two more. Eventually, Tiberius stunned the last one. “I never saw a patrol this size before”, Tiberius explained, “I believe they were expecting us. Search the justiciars for any documents.”

 

Ria and Ti’alma began searching the Thalmor operatives, Ria quickly found something, “I think I found the answer.” Ria took the piece of paper and began reading it out loud, “be on the lookout for the Imperial-Bosmeri Hybrid Ti’alma De Agnis. She is an enemy of the Thalmor, and has actively disrupted our activities and caused great harm. If captured, you are to bring her to Nortwatch Keep for interrogation. Be advised, she is extremely dangerous, and quite capable to defend herself. If caught by the local authorities, we will be unable to offer assistance. Ondolemar, acting First Emissary.”

 

“Cool, I’m extremely dangerous”, Ti’alma remarked, which didn’t exactly amuse Tiberius.

“What did you do to the Thalmor?” Ria asked.

Ti’alma didn’t immediately answer, Tiberius didn’t wait for that though. He quickly tied up the last surviving Thalmor Soldier and broke his stun spell. “What do your people want with my daughter?” Tiberius asked. The Thalmor soldier didn’t exactly say much more than Ti’alma had already said (which was nothing whatsoever). When Tiberius next asked what had happened to Elenwen, his face betrayed the fact that it surely had something to do with Elenwen no longer being First Emissary.

 

“I can answer both questions”, Ti’alma eventually decided to explain, before soultrapping the last Thalmor soldier and slitting his throat. “I had people waiting outside during the peace conference”, Ti’alma began, “if the conference should fail, they were to take out Ulfric and a few others, beheading the rebellion.”

“You mean your Odvan organized a conference while he had people waiting outside to murder the Stormcloaks”, Ria exclaimed, “where is the honour in that?”

 

“An honourable death doesn’t make you any less dead you know”, Ti’alma remarked, “but no, Odvan didn’t know. Anyhow, when Elenwen was thrown out, she happened upon one of my people who disarmed her and took her captive. I told him to take her away so I could take care of her later.”

“Take care of her?” Ria asked, “you mean kill her.”

“I would soultrap her first”, Ti’alma admitted, “but eventually yes. And what of it? She tortured our father. She deserves it.”

“I suppose that answers why they want you”, Tiberius interrupted, before his daughters could continue bickering, “you still haven’t explained where you got hold of the manpower to lay an ambush on the road down High Hrothgar. My first thought would be the Forsworn, but I doubt Odvan wouldn’t have known about that.”

“It weren’t the Forsworn”, Ti’alma agreed, “and the main ambush was just one person.” Ti’alma wisely decided not to mention the fact that Arnbjorn had had back-up further down the mountain

“One person would never be able to beat both Ulfric and Galmar”, Tiberius remarked, “especially not with Ulfric’s thu’um.”

“One werewolf would”, Ti’alma replied, before continuing, “but as the Summit succeeded, he didn’t have to. Anyhow, he was quite happy with the prospect of killing Elenwen, as his wife has just been killed by an other altmer.”

 

Although Ti’alma hadn’t exactly told him, Tiberius was by now quite certain that his youngest daughter had somehow managed to get inside the Dark Brotherhood. Where else would she be able to find a werewolf assassin after all? Why else wasn’t she surprised about the Silver-Blood murders which came out during the peace conference? The referring to their current quest as a contract was a good indication as well. He decided not to press the point just yet though. After they pushed the Thalmor corpses off the road, Tiberius indicated they should continue. He could confront his daughter about the Dark Brotherhood later on after all.

 

After a few more hours, the trio eventually neared the Glenmoril cave. They noticed a single hag standing guard outside, Ti’alma took her bow and fired a poisoned arrow at her. The guard taken care of, they approached the entrance. “Kodlak said we needed their heads didn’t he?” Ti’alma asked, before starting to cut of the hag’s head. “Are you really starting to get squeamish about this”, Ti’alma remarked, seeing Ria looking faintly sick, “we need their heads after all.”

“Actually we only need the hagravens’ heads”, Tiberius corrected, “there was no reason to cut of hers as well.”

“It’s not as if she still needs it”, Ti’alma remarked, putting the head in a bag either way. Ria wisely didn’t ask what Ti’alma was planning with the head.

 

They entered the cave, quickly discovering the first actual hagraven, who was sitting near a fire. “I have this”, Ria said, before running straight at the hagraven and with one rapid swing cutting her head off, “that’s number …” Ria quickly dispatched the skeever jumping at her, before continuing, “one.”

“You two”, Tiberius decided, “take that corridor. I’ll take on of the others, when we return, we can take the last two corridors.”

“Works for me”, Ti’alma agreed, drawing her bow. “You are better at close quarters”, Ti’alma suggested, “I suppose it’s best if you go in with your swords while I cover you with my bow.” Ria agreed and they stormed into the smaller cavern, this hagraven had apparently heard them coming, making sure it wasn’t as easy as the first one. Eventually, even her magic wasn’t able to save her (although she did cause quite a lot of damage). While Ria healed their wounds (by this time, she was actually able to use her magic without being angry), Ti’alma began cutting of the head.

 

Eventually they managed to take down the other hagravens as well. As they left the cave with 5 hagraven heads in a bag, Ti’alma decided to take her leave. “I suppose you can get these heads back to Jorrvaskr without me”, she told her father and sister, “I have other things to do.”

“Which you won’t tell us about”, Ria knew, contrary to Tiberius Ria still wasn’t aware of her sister’s new allegiance though.

“Exactly”, Ti’alma grinned before turning away, taking the regular hag’s head with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Ti'alma, Arnbjorn and Babette eat Elenwen (although Babette technically only drinks); and Ti'alma absorbs Elenwen's soul in a black soul gem


	9. Elenwen's passing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elenwen is devoured (so if you don't like reading about people being eaten, skip the first half of this chapter), the Night Mother wants someone to seek out Amaund Motierre, the Dawnstar Sanctuary will be taken into service and there will be more recruitment
> 
> almost forgotten, Orla the hagraven promised to find a way to turn the head of the ordinary hag from next chapter into a shrunken head (Ti'alma wants it for her armor)

“Catch”, Ti’alma yelled when she spotted Orla inside the Sanctuary, after which she threw the hag’s head at her. In any other organization, people would have started asking serious questions about why she had a woman’s head with her, but this was the Dark Brotherhood, the macabre was almost an obligation. “I had a contract to kill a coven of witches and bring back their heads”, Ti’alma explained, “but this one wasn’t necessary.”

“Which coven?” Orla asked, as a hagraven she did know the community after all.

“Glenmoril”, Ti’alma replied.

 

“I won’t miss them”, Orla decided, “but why did you bring the head with you?”

“I wondered whether you by any chance knew how to make a shrunken head”, Ti’alma explained, “I want one for my armour.”

“I might know someone”, Orla answered.

“Perfect”, Ti’alma replied, “but first things first, has Arnbjorn arrived with the Thalmor ambassador?”

“He did”, Babette answered, having just arrived, “Arnbjorn mentioned something about you having threatened to eat her.”

“I never threatened her”, Ti’alma replied indignantly, “I made her a promise.”

 

“Would you mind if I joined in?” Babette remarked, not particularly caring about the distinction, “I don’t exactly eat, but altmeri blood is quite tasty.”

“There is more than enough”, Ti’alma replied, “I don’t suppose anyone else is interested?”

“Orla might be”, Babette supposed.

Orla proved to be interested indeed, as she followed Ti’alma and Babette to the alcove in which Arnbjorn has locked up Elenwen. “Let’s get on with it”, Babette suggested. The others agreed.

Arnbjorn quickly stripped down (no reason to rip apart perfectly good clothing after all) and began his change. When the big werewolf stood in his place, Ti’alma took her dagger (the soul-trap enchanted ebony dagger that is). “Orla”, Ti’alma asked, “would you be so kind as to keep her alive until the moment I rip out her heart?”

“Sure”, Orla agreed, always happy to assist in torture and murder. Ti’alma first began cutting away Elenwen’s limbs, Orla made sure Elenwen wouldn’t bleed to death before she began sharing an arm with Babette (Orla the flesh and Babette the fluids). Arnbjorn took care of the other limbs. Next, Ti’alma began cutting a hole in Elenwen’s chest, pushing her hand in until she could grab the heart. Obviously, Elenwen wouldn’t have survived this without Orla’s healing.

Ti’alma waited a while, looking Elenwen in the eyes (Orla made sure she remained conscious), before she finally ripped out the heart. “Dig in”, Ti’alma gleefully said, having watched Elenwen’s soul being sucked into her black soulgem. Then she started eating the heart. Babette bit into the neck in order to suck out as much blood as she could, while Orla and Arnbjorn each ripped out whole chunks of Elenwen meat. Having finished the heart, Ti’alma took a regular knife and began cutting off pieces of choice meat.

With a werewolf helping, it didn’t take too long to finish their meal. “Does anyone wants to do anything with the bones?” Ti’alma asked, after Arnbjorn had changed back into human form and dressed himself. When it was clear no one wanted the bones, Ti’alma took a couple of the smaller bones and the skull with her, planning to use them for her armour as well.

 

“I should go check whether the Night Mother has a new contract for us”, Ti’alma remarked after a while, getting up. Orla and Babette stood up as well, they probably had some speaker business to attend. Arnbjorn decided to see whether there was some work at the smithy.

“Another child has prayed to their mother”, the Night Mother said immediately after Ti’alma entered her alcove, “speak with Amaund Motierre inside Volunruud. So begins a contract, bound in blood.” Ti’alma went in search for her speakers, when she encountered Cicero, she decided to ask him to come as well. “We have a new contract”, Ti’alma explained once Babette, Orla and Cicero has assembled, “we must send one of us to a place called Volunruud to speak with a man named Amaund Motierre.”

 

“Motierre is a Breton name”, Babette remarked, “I think I’ve heard the name before. Either way, I suggest we send Gabriella.”

“Sounds good”, Ti’alma agreed, “I have another task for the both of you though, you are to get us new recruits. Orla, scour the forsworn camps for likely recruits. Babette, I know you always were on the lookout for likely recruits, you should start testing them. If they succeed, give them the password and location of our sanctuary.”

“At your service listener”, Babette replied, before seeing Ti’alma’s expression, “sorry, at your service Ti’alma.”

“You were probably wondering why I asked you to come as well”, Ti’alma now told Cicero, “the thing is that it seems quite dangerous for the entire Brotherhood to only have one sanctuary.”

“Cicero knows of a second sanctuary”, Cicero interrupted.

“Are you seriously saying there are Dark Brothers we haven’t seen yet?” Ti’alma asked.

“Cicero should say that the other sanctuary has long been empty”, Cicero corrected.

 

“You said that each Speaker usually has her own camp”, Ti’alma continued, “my suggestion would be for Babette to take residence in the other Sanctuary as its speaker. The new recruits should still be send this way though.”

“I would suggest Babette to take everyone except Arnbjorn and myself with her”, Orla remarked, “the new recruits are less likely to want to betray a werewolf and a hagraven after all.”

“Good thinking”, Ti’alma replied, “Cicero, you may start gathering supplies and head to the other sanctuary. We will move the Night Mother there as well.” Cicero agreed. “I think I know a few potential recruits”, Ti’alma mentioned as an afterthought, “I’ll search them out after Gabriella has her orders. Babette, you should wait with your recruitment round until Orla has returned, you are in command until I return or Orla returns. When Orla is back, you go on your own recruitment round, after which you’ll head to the other sanctuary.” After Cicero had told them the location and password to the Dawnstar Sanctuary, they ended the meeting.

 

Ti’alma searched out Gabriella, “do you know a place called Volunruud?”

“I do”, Gabriella replied, already suspecting what was coming next.

“I want you to go there and meet a man named Amaund Motierre, he has a job for us.”

“I’m on it”, Gabriella promised. Soon, Gabriella, Ti’alma and Orla all left the Sanctuary, although everyone headed in a different direction afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ti'alma's potential recruits are the Namira worshippers
> 
> next chapter: Skjor, Aela, Vilkas, Farkas and Ria take the fight to the Silver Hand, Tiberius has decided to return to the Blades Temple and won't appear that chapter. Later on they will reunite to help cure Vilkas, Farkas and Kodlak.


	10. Taking out the Silver Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Silver Hand is exterminated (and all Wuuthrad fragments are recovered)

“I brought the heads”, Ria told Kodlak.

“Thank you”, Kodlak replied, “with these, I believe that in a few weeks, we’ll be able to end our curses. Saying that, I don’t see your family, are they still on the main floor?”

“Not really”, Ria admitted, “Ti’alma went to, actually I wouldn’t know where to, father went back to his base.”

“Would you be able to contact them later on?” Kodlak asked, knowing that he would eventually need them to end the curse.

“I know where to find father”, Ria answered, “but I’m not sure about my sister, I know people who should be able to find her though.”

“Good enough”, Kodlak decided, “I was told that I needed the three of you to help met break the curse after all. For now, you should search out Aela, I think she has a job for you.”

 

“I heard you had a job for me”, Ria told Aela.

“I do”, Aela replied, “you probably know that we had managed to gather all the pieces of Wuuthrad.”

“I found the last piece, so I suppose I do”, Ria answered.

“It seems that during the Silver Hand assault on Jorrvaskr, some managed to escape with pieces of Wuuthrad.”

“You want me to retrieve them”, Ria supposed.

“Not on your own”, Aela replied, “but I’ll explain the rest on the road.”

Aela opened a secret gate under the Skyforge and told Ria to follow, they passed some kind of ritual chamber and finally emerged outside the city. Where Skjor and the twins were already waiting. “The Silver Hand has become too much of a problem”, Skjor explained as the group began walking, “it is time we end their menace once and for all.”

“Does Kodlak approve?” Farkas inquired.

“He’s our harbinger”, Aela replied, “not our leader, but if you don’t want to come with us, you are welcome to stay behind.” Farkas clearly didn’t want that.

“Aela and I managed to clear out all but one of the Silver Hand bases”, Skjor continued, “if we clear out their last base, then their menace will be dealt with once and for all.”

“Furthermore”, Aela added, “we are certain the stolen pieces of Wuuthrad are inside.”

“Where is this base?” Vilkas wanted to know. “Driftshade Refuge”, Skjor answered.

The sun had nearly set when the group first set eye on the fort. “I see three guards outside”, Aela saw, “I suggest we try to take them down quietly, in order for us not to alarm those inside.”

“I can do it”, Ria remarked, “I don’t think they know me yet after all.”

Ria didn’t wait for an answer, but simplu walked towards the fort, upon which point one of the guards spotted her, “move on, this place doesn’t concern you.” Deciding that Ria was as close as she would get, Aela shot the guard in question, after which Ria drew her swords and took out the other two.

 

They entered the fort and immediately came upon some stairs. Not giving the Silver Hand downstairs too much time to think, Ria ran down the stairs and began swirling her swords at them. Her shieldbrothers and shieldsister weren’t far after behind. When they came upon a chamber with a sideways corridor and a door, Skjor sniffed around. “We most go through the door”, he remarked, “I can smell their stench.” The door however proved to be closed. “I’ll get it open”, Skjor promised after which he stripped out of his gear and began his change.

 

Skjor ran on all fours into the corridor, the others running after him, too slow to keep up though. They soon came upon the first Silver Hand corpse. “At least we know Skjor passed here”, Ria supposed. They kept on following the trail until they reached a dining chamber, in which Skjor was fighting a whole group of Silver Hand.

“Jorrvaskr!” Aela shouted as she ran right into the fray, Ria and the twins following after her. It took some work, but eventually the entire chamber was cleared from Silver Hand. Skjor didn’t make it though, the sheer amount of silver-induced wounds proved too much for the old warrior to survive. “They are going to pay”, Aela swore.

Ria approached the corpse , and checked for a pulse, seeing if there really wasn’t anything she could do, “I can’t help him anymore.”

“Yes you can”, Aela replied vehemently, “we can exterminate every single one of these Silver Hand bastards.” This time, Aela took the lead.

 

Having descended other stairs, they came across more Silver Hand, which Aela dispatched all by herself. Not even sparing a single one of them, they continued onwards, until they reached an icy cave. In this cave, they discovered two cages, one containing a dead horse and the other containing a very much living werewolf. “Should we free him?” Ria wondered.

“Maybe we’d better not”, Aela replied, “a lot of werewolves don’t exactly live a vegetarian life, if you know what I mean.”

“We can’t just leave him in here can we?” Ria protested.

 

Aela sighed, but she finally gave in, “we’ll release him, but whatever you do, wait until I’ve changed. If he does attack us, I can at least hold him off that way.” Aela quickly changed into her beast form, then Farkas smashed the lock with a silver warhammer (taken from one of the Silver Hand). Aela approached the now open cagedoor and indicated the others should stay back. Being confronted with his own kind, the werewolf didn’t immediately act, but eventually he still came at Aela.

 

Aela fought back viciously, her bulk might have been far less than the strange werewolf’s, but she made up for it by her superior skills. It barely even took a minute for Aela to force him to submit and change back into human form. After Aela had changed back as well, she came to the werewolf, “your name?” The werewolf didn’t answer, it was almost as if he couldn’t. In vain Aela kept on trying to communicate for a while, but eventually she sighed and cut his throat.

 

“I don’t think there was anything human left in him”, Aela told the group, “killing him was the merciful thing to do.” Although Ria was faintly disturbed, she did agree to continue, they headed onwards, killing all Silver Hand they encountered until they finally reached the last chamber. The fight there proved to be the most difficult yet, but eventually they did manage to take down the last one of the Silver Hand

After Ria had gathered all the Wuuthrad pieces, Vilkas suggested they should spend the night in the fort (preferably one of the chambers without corpses that is), “it might after all be safer to return tomorrow morning.”

The following afternoon, they returned to Jorrvaskr, Kodlak clearly wasn't happy about the fact that they had effectively exterminated the Silver Hand (mostly the fact that they hadn't even told him, they were criminals after all). He did rejoice about the retrieval of the Wuuthrad parts though.

About a week later, Eorlund Gray-Mane had managed to reforge Wuuthrad, Ria had called upon her father and sister and along with the Circle, they journeyed to Ysgramor's tomb, where the curse was finally broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't feel like writing out the whole curse-breaking part


	11. Bound until death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vitoria Vici dies

Ti’alma returned to the Falkreath Sanctuary. Having passed by the Namira cult, before approaching Dawnstar Sanctuary, she had brought Eola with her. “She’s the new recruit I spoke about”, Ti’alma informed Babette (who still hadn’t left for Dawnstar), “the others weren’t interested unfortunately.”

“Welcome sister”, Babette graciously greeted Eola, “we can always use good killers.” Although Falkreath was now Orla’s sanctuary, Babette still decided to show Orla around, hand her a set of shrouds and explain the rules to her.

 

The next day, Gabriella returned from Volunruud, “you will never believe what this client, Mottierre wants us to do.”

“What does he want?” Ti’alma asked, seeing the excitement on Gabriella’s face.

“He wants us to kill the Emperor”, Gabriella replied a bit in awe, “he gave me this Amulet to help cover our expenses. He has promised we would also receive 50.000 septims upon completion of the contract.”

Gabriella handed Ti’alma a sealed letter, which Ti’alma opened and began reading. “That’s quite detailed”, she remarked, “but we can work with it I suppose. It seems that the first thing we’ll need to do, is to kill the Emperor’s cousin during her own wedding, which is taking place in Solitude in a few weeks. We will get a bonus if she is killed during her speech. How would you like to crash a wedding, Gabriella?”

 

“You want me to take the kill?” Gabriella replied a bit surprised.

“Not exactly”, Ti’alma replied, “I’m quite sure that I am the best archer among us, I will take the shot. I simply need you to create a distraction. That should allow me to mingle among the surprised guests after I’ve shot her. I also need you to brew me some invisibility potions.”

“I can do that”, Gabriella decided, “but are you sure you should be doing this? You are the Listener after all.”

“Yes I am”, Ti’alma answered, “I can’t spend the rest of my life safely in here, can I?”

“I suppose not”, Gabriella agreed.

 

After telling Babette to stay a bit longer in the old sanctuary, the original plan was for Ti’alma to take command of the Sanctuary until Orla returned (but they could after all hardly leave the Sanctuary without a leader), Gabriella and Ti’alma left on Shadowmere. Ti’alma was still uncomfortable on the horse, but she knew it was the only way to reach Solitude in time. For obvious reasons, Ti’alma was now wearing regular armor (as both her forsworn and dark brotherhood armor were a bit too conspicuous). Ti’alma did take her katana with her, along with a cheap bonemold bow (the chances of the bow being lost to her were quite severe after all). Veezara,, in the meanwhile, was send to Riften in order to fence Motierre’s amulet with the Thieves Guild.

 

They didn’t have much problems entering Solitude, once in the city, Ti’alma drunk her first invisibility potion and sneaked into Castle Dour. She soon found an excellent location for a longerange kill and hid the bow, some arrows and a fastworking poison up there. Afterwards she sneaked out of the castle in order to meet up with Gabriella. “I’ve found the perfect spot”, she informed Gabriella, “do you already know how you will distract the guards?”

“Did I ever tell you I’m excellent in rune magic?” Gabriella remarked, that at least explained her plan at that.

 

At noon, the wedding guests began entering Castle Dour, where a priest of Mara was already waiting for the bride and groom. Soon the happy couple appeared on the balcony, where Vitoria Vici began her speech. Ti’alma decided to at least let her say what she had to say first before taking her shot. Death was instantaneous. She left the bow where she was, drunk an invisibility potion and sneaked away. Making use of the distraction (Gabriella’s fire runes), Ti’alma managed to get herself in the middle of the guests, who didn’t notice her sudden appearance, mostly due to the shock. A few hours later, an Imperial Legate addressed the crowd (still containing Ti’alma and Gabriella), “I’m afraid the assassin has managed to escape, you are all free to depart.” Ti’alma didn’t complain and walked away.

Two weeks later (she had opted to go on foot), Ti’alma had her first look inside the Dawnstar Sanctuary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this one hadn't been updated in a while


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Emperor finally dies (Ti'alma doesn't do the deed, by now being heavily pregnant), a Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary is destroyed however and at the end, news comes in that the Dragonborn has returned from Sovngarde

As the months passed, the next stages of the plan went of smoothly. First, they had to assassinate Gaius Maro, the son of Commander Maro of the Penitus Oculatus and frame him for treason, Veezara had little difficulty in pulling this off. Afterwards Gabriella had to find out the true identity of the famous cook, the Gourmet, kill him and impersonate him, in order to poison the Emperor. Two months later, Ti’alma received a message Gabriella had the Gourmet’s Writ of Passage and was heading for Solitude.

 

Two weeks passed without further news, until the survivors of the Old Sanctuary arrived in Dawnstar that is. “The Penitus Oculatus attacked us”, Calixto Corrium (who had taken up the offer to join the Brotherhood) explained, “the only reason we even survived, was the fact that Gabriella had managed to warn us.”

“What happened to her?” Ti’alma asked, not seeing her.

“She and Keeper Orla died fighting off the Penitus Oculatus, allowing the rest of us to escape”, Eola replied.

“And the Emperor?” Ti’alma asked, fearing for the worst.

“He still lives”, Calixto admitted, “Gabriella told us the man she killed was a doubleganger. It seems as if the Penitus Oculatus somehow knows of the plot.”

 

Ti’alma didn’t waste more time and went to the Night Mother. “The contract has failed”, Ti’alma told her.

“Not yet, my child”, the Night Mother replied, “the Emperor is still in Skyrim, you can still take his life.”

“How?” Ti’alma asked in surprise, “the Penitus knows of the plot.”

“You must visit Amaund Motierre once again”, the Night Mother answered, “he will be able to get you the current location of the Emperor, you will find Motierre in the Bannered Mare inside Whiterun.”

 

Ti’alma called her people together, “the Night Mother has informed me the contract is still on, “I’ll need to visit Amaund Motierre in the Bannered Mare in Whiterun.”

“Not to be disrespectful”, Eola remarked, “but I wouldn’t advise you to go.”

“Why in Yff’re’s name shouldn’t I?” Ti’alma retorted.

“Probably because you kind of stand out at the moment”, Babette replied quite bluntly (Ti’alma was by now six months pregnant after all, and her belly was starting to show).

“You might be right”, Ti’alma gave in, “Keeper Babette, you know our people better than I do, who would you pick for this assignment?”

“Nazir and Veezara”, Babette replied.

“Very well”, Ti’alma replied, “Nazir, Veezara, I want you to head out to Whiterun, contact Amaund Motierre, and end the Emperor’s life.”

“We will”, both assassins replied in unison.

Another month later, the news of the Emperor’s murder reached the Dawnstar Sanctuary, Nazir and Veezara where soon greeted as heroes upon their return (at least under the Brotherhood’s definition).

 

Two more months later, news of Odvan’s return from Sovngarde finally reached Dawnstar. Unfortunately, now nine months pregnant (she still had about a month or two to go, being part bosmeri, but still), Ti’alma was no longer able to just walk all across Skyrim. As the latest news mentioned Odvan was heading for Whiterun, Ti’alma commandeered the cart (the same on which had earlier been used to transport the Night Mother) and along with Nazir, who didn’t want the Listener to ride of on her own, she headed towards Whiterun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my story, time runs much faster in Sovngarde, which is why half a year passes for Ti'alma and company, while Odvan will only have experienced a few days in Sovngarde
> 
> I'll finish the 3th work shortly, after which I'll start with the 4th work in the series; which will deal with the Thalmor problem; I already have the Epilogue of work 3 (which will connect work 3 back to the Skyrim era), so I only need to finish the Oblivion questline (which will take about 2 or 3 chapters, + the 2 epilogue chapters)
> 
> Ti'alma will also give birth in work 4 (in a month or so, as a half bosmeri, she will be pregnant for about 10 months; full bosmeri take a full year in my story)


End file.
